This year’s Comedy Is Art festival is going out with a bang (or perhaps a pratfall) this year, thanks to the offbeat, brainy hilarity of Rakhee Morzaria and Hannan Younis. The two comedy powerhouses will take over The Theatre Centre on October 26 with their show I’m with Stewwwww pit, directed by Natalie Metcalfe. Part sketch, part improv, and entirely absurd, I’m with Stewwwww pit is a zany ride through the wacky world of Morzaria and Younis’ budding friendship.
The Comedy Is Art festival celebrates the rich diversity of comedic talent thriving in Toronto and beyond. Running until October 26 at The Theatre Centre, the festival brings together a wide range of performances, from stand-up and sketch to improv and experimental comedy. The festival is curated by comedian and storyteller liza paul, and showcases 50 comics – including well-known performers like Andrew Phung, Brandon Hackett and Jonathan Langdon, Bougie B Bougé, Clif Knight, Daphney Joseph, Darren Leo, and Small Friend Tall Friend – along with the multi-Dora Award-nominated Holiday! An Improvised Musical from Bad Dog Theatre.
With programming support from Tim Blair and Ellie Posadas, the festival focuses on artists who take unconventional approaches, work hard, and deliver thoughtful and polished material. Now in its fifth year, the festival is part of The Theatre Centre’s 10 for 10 celebration, which marks a decade in its Queen Street West home. Within this already exciting and eclectic festival, I’m with Stewwwww pit represents a high watermark for unique and experimental comedy that is powered by the undeniable chemistry of Morzaria and Younis.
Morzaria is a Toronto-based comedian, writer, and actor who is best known for her work on CBC’s Run the Burbs. A regular in the city’s comedy scene, she blends sharp observational humour with a quirky, self-deprecating style that endears her to audiences. Younis, also from Toronto, is an award-winning performer and a bold voice in the world of sketch and stand-up. With credits ranging from CBC’s Baroness von Sketch Show, FX’s What We Do in the Shadows, and Crave’s Bria Mack Gets a Life to her stand-up comedy specials, Hannan brings a fearless edge to her comedy.
Both performers have taken unconventional routes to the stage, and their shared sense of unexpected discovery seems to fuel their partnership. When asked about the moment that sparked her desire to become a comedian, Younis recalls, “I remember a friend was looking through a college programs book when we were in grade 12, and it showed the Humber comedy writing and performance program. We laughed at it, thinking it was so silly. Then I secretly applied for the program and got in.” Morzaria’s path was a different story of the gap between declared ambition and reality. “I wanted to be a dramatic actress,” she explains. “But any time I did a school play or community theatre, people would end up laughing at me (or maybe it was with me); regardless, comedy was happening, so I kept following the validation!”
With Morzaria and Younis long past these humble beginnings, what should audiences expect from I’m with Stewwwww pit? Hannan describes it as “a silly collection of the inner workings of Morzaria and Younis, connected through a series of thoughts and insights. Plus jokes.” At its core, this is a celebration of what Morzaria calls “our (in real time) budding friendship.”
In the show, the duo navigates the highs and lows of their relationship with humour, exploring everything from fleeting moments of genius to the everyday absurdities of life. And because it’s Morzaria and Younis, audiences can expect these musings to be filled with unexpected twists, physical comedy, and a trademark dash of chaotic energy.
Of course, Morzaria and Hannan know well that live performance is not without its challenges. For Younis, this understanding dates back to a formative experience: “I had just joined a sketch troupe, and during my first show with them, I played a doctor, and the lines were really long and complicated… I completely forgot every line I was supposed to say. I blacked out. I was just staring at the audience.” So what did she do? “I panicked, grabbed someone’s drink from the front row, and chugged it.” And Younis is so effective at finding the comedy beneath the cringe-inducing awkwardness of the situation that Morzaria quickly pronounces “OMG, Hannan just acted out what happened in front of me from her story, and that sounds, actually, really traumatising. I wonder if she’s going to be ok for our show… Anyways… I think I’m going to schedule more rehearsals with her now!”
Despite such risks of comedy, Morzaria and Younis are passionate about supporting the local comedy scene – particularly women in comedy. “Toronto is filled with hilarious comedians,” they enthuse, encouraging audiences to “go watch live comedy, please—and watch women!! Not just on the street – on stage, too!”
Whether for the jokes, the friendship, the chance of things going awry . . . or simply to watch two brilliant women own the stage, I’m with Stewwwww pit promises an unexpected, unusual and unforgettable night of comedy. So grab a ticket for Comedy is Art, take a seat (but maybe not in the front row, just in case Younis needs another drink), and lean into the laughs.
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2024
